The Power That He Knows Not
by temporary placeholder
Summary: AU: Yr.6 Voldemort launches a preemptive strike at the wizarding world. The Ministry is falling apart, and Harry disappears after a battle with Death Eaters. Will be rewritten sometime...
1. Crash

This is my first fanfic. I've read many, many stories since I first started reading in 2003. This story is a collection of my thoughts and variations on my favorite versions of fanfics. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. However, I do own everything else that JK Rowling does not write. Which means the plot, and the individual character developments.

POSTED: 9/11/05

EDITED: 9/25/05

Chapter 1: The Crash

An eerie silence blanketed the Dursley family car as they made their way through London traffic to their home in Surrey. Harry Potter sat in the backseat, knowing full well the reason for the awkward quiet. The Dursleys were still in shock from meeting so many wizards at one time, and were still recovering from the encounter with Mad-Eye at King's Cross. Dudley's whale of a body took up the entire backseat, squishing Harry up against the window. But he didn't mind. No, Harry had far more important things to do than worry about his cousin flattening him.

Harry Potter was an enigma. Subject to mood swings, his temper was truly a sight to behold, and he was sure his headmaster could testify to that. Other times, Harry was a brave Gryffindor, unselfishly putting his life before others. Harry had lost his godfather, Sirius Black, in a battle at the Ministry of Magic just a few weeks before, to what he thought was his own foolishness. Not one hour afterwards, he had been told of a prophecy stating that Harry would have to battle Lord Voldemort in the final battle and that "_neither can live while the other survives._" Also, the prophecy stated that Harry had the "_power that he knows not_". These phrases meant nothing to Harry, although he couldn't say that the 'power that he knows not' didn't intrigue his curiosity just a little bit. It wasn't that big of a shock to him as some people might think. Voldemort had tried five times to kill him, and it only seemed natural for Harry and Voldemort to face off in the end.

Now, Harry sat in the car, despondently staring out the window. He saw a bird flying high above the treetops, and wished that he could just fly, fly away from his problems and most of all, Voldemort. A rough voice startled him out of his thoughts, breaking the screaming silence.

"Boy! I have been thinking…"

_He can think?_

"…and have decided that whatever those freaks of yours might say, I will not tolerate you moping around _my_ house, eating _my_ food, with _my_ clothes. Therefore, I have gratefully done the task of finding you a summer job. You will start working at Grunnings and pull your weight around. I've had it with your loitering around and laziness." Vernon's tone seemed triumphant at this, proud of himself for commanding Harry.

_What the hell? I don't have time for this! His food and clothes? What a load of crap._

"No." His voice startled Vernon, who was expecting Harry to go down without a fight. Wishful thinking.

Vernon turned around in his seat so fast that Harry could have sworn he heard bones pop. His face was a bright red and gradually turning an ugly purple. The car swerved unsteadily as he blindly turned onto the highway. A few cars honked and made crazy gestures at Vernon, none of which he noticed.

"What did you say, boy?" His voice was a mix between a deadly whisper and a barely constrained yell. Harry's voice also took on a hint of steel.

"I said, 'no.' I will not be doing any of your mundane tasks this summer. I have far better uses for my time than to do some stupid job."

Vernon's face turned an even darker purple, if that was possible, and his hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that Harry found himself wondering if it might break.

"Y-you dare to disobey me boy? After all the gratitude I have shown you for allowing me into my house, you have the nerve to refuse my kind offer?" Harry thought it was a bunch of bull.

Vernon released his right hand from the wheel and turned around even more, as if to grab Harry's neck. Instinct kicked in, and Harry swiftly drew his wand. Before Vernon even got a chance to fully turn around, Harry had his wand calmly placed in a resting position between Vernon's eyes. Darkness entered his voice.

"You'd do better than to think you can get the upper hand of me, Uncle."

Vernon's eyes widened in fear and his left hand was dangerously unstable, rocking back and forth on the steering wheel. Other cars were honking madly as the Dursley's car swerved around the five-lane highway, interchanging lanes with chilling speed. Dudley stared at Harry from his seat and managed to stutter out a few words.

"Y-y-you can't do that f-freak stuff outside of your s-school! You'll be expelled." His voice, like Vernon's contained a hint of triumphance, confident that he could stop Harry.

_They really need to learn that I don't care anymore, don't they?_ Harry's features turned into a tight smile and he let out a short bark of laughter.

"You don't honestly expect me to care, now do you? It's actually quite funny to see that you think you can control me with expulsion threats." At this, Dudley paled and lost all composure.

"B-b-b-but…" Petunia interrupted any further words with a hand on Vernon's shoulder.

"V-Vernon…I think you'd better put both hands on the wheel, honey."

Petunia was visibly shaking in the front seat; her knuckles white as she held on to the car for dear life, the car swerving sideways and narrowly missing collision. Dudley was even showing signs of fear, eyes darting around the car. Only Vernon did not seem to notice the coming danger. Even Harry was a bit rattled. He did not know if magic could shield him from physical danger if the car crashed. His grip on his wand tightened.

"_Vernon!"_

Petunia was in hysterics by now. Her eyes were watery as the car passed car by car, miraculously avoiding collision with other cars. Suddenly, Vernon seemed to awake from his focus on Harry as his head darted from side to side, suddenly realizing the danger he had put himself in, and made to retake control of the car. Then, in a surprisingly bold move, Vernon feinted turning around, and quickly brought his right hand up to his face, and wildly attempted to grab Harry's wand. The surprise attack had momentarily forced Vernon to twist his left hand as he struggled to grab Harry's wand, and Harry withdrew his wand and leaned back as far as he could into the seat. Vernon seemed to realize his mistake, as the car lurched right, crossing one…two…three…four lanes as the car sped toward the fifth and right-most lane.

A rumble shook the car, and it let out a horrible screech; it twisted, the left side now becoming the front. Harry, in all his panic, glanced outside the window, and saw what had caused the twist. It seemed that a car was too close to the Dursley's as their car tried to go into the fifth lane, and the rear right tire collided with the front headlight of the opposing car, causing the car to twist at dangerous speeds. Apparently, the other driver was not of sound state of mind, and only accelerated, pushing past the Dursleys car. The effect was that the car did a full 180 degree turn, now going in reverse. The momentum from the other car carried the Dursley's car even more, as it twisted further. The car let out an involuntary shudder as the rear left light, now the front right, grated against the low metal bracer on the side of the highway. Mercifully, the car reduced speed, but a low hum signified that the car was still grating against the fence.

Orange sparks flew in a shower as the metal was slowly ground away, exposing the tire. A moment later, a deafening 'boom' was heard, as the tire burst, and the rear section of the car dropped, causing even more sparks to fly. Luck was not on the Dursleys side today. Just as the car decreased to a bearable speed of 35 miles per hour, a low riding sports car appeared out of nowhere in the fifth lane, and smashed into the front, now rear, of the car. The impact shattered all of the windows and the sports car plowed through the Dursley's car, and the low bumper of the other car picked up the Dursleys and they flew into the air.

Harry, sitting on the right side, felt a temporary feeling of weightlessness, and was suddenly jerked back into reality as the car toppled onto its side; Harry facing towards the sky. He looked on his left side, and could not believe what he was seeing. The sports car had been going so fast, that it had actually knocked the Dursley's car _off of its wheels_, and now they were skidding on their side on top of the metal bracer. Harry was jerked back and forth as the car bounced on and off the bracer, like an airplane landing. He felt a warm and sticky liquid splatter on him as the car came down upon the bracer once more, and turned to see what the source was. He would never forget the scene that he saw.

Dudley's side of the car was against the metal bracer, and the sharp top edge of the bracer had sliced through the side of the car. Dudley's wide eyes stared at the remaining stump of his left arm; it had been grated away by the bracer. Harry only had a moment to process the situation before Dudley went into shock and his head went slack. The side of Dudley's head exploded in a shower of blood and gore - Dudley's head had fallen on top of the bracer. A fresh wave of blood splattered against Harry's face, and he looked away with his eyes shut.

Just as he thought it couldn't get worse, another sports car, presumably the first ones companion, sped by the Dursley's car, but not before scraping the bottom of the car ever so slightly. The car let out a mighty groan as it shifted and leaned to Harry's left. The little scrape had been enough to send the Dursley's car off balance, and it now slowly leaned outwards from the highway, precariously hanging on. With one last desperate attempt to stay on the bracer, it broke free and was thrown vertically sideways…and the top of the car above Vernon and Petunia caved in as the car crashed headlong into a thick tree. They were instantly killed.

The force of the crash sent the car into mid-air spins, and fortunately, Harry did not have his seatbelt on. He was hurled out of the broken window into the dense grove of trees, and before darkness enveloped him, he had time to see a blue light fly by the Dursley's car before it exploded into flames, and with one desperate attempt to stay alive, he let loose one word amidst all the chaos.

"_Protego!"_


	2. Disappearance

Thanks to Hazel Maraa, ohtray, and makis-15 for reviewing. It makes me write faster : )

Expect updates every couple of days, maybe everyday if I don't have a lot of homework.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. However, I do own everything else that JK Rowling does not write. Which means the plot, and the individual character developments.

**POSTED: 9/13/05**

**EDITED: 9/25/05**

**Chapter Two: Disappearance **

_One hour ago_

Avery Nott was not a patient man. His job at the ministry bored him to no end, as he was a secretary in the Department of Magical Transportation. His Lord had seen his power and potential, and offered him a place by his side a few months before his seventh year at Hogwarts ended. It had been the best and worst day of his life the day he was branded as a slave to Voldemort. Of course, Nott didn't see it this way. He believed that the Dark Lord thought of him as special, and secretly had hopes of being Voldemort's right hand man. How Pettigrew got that position, he – nor the other Death Eaters – did not know. Unfortunately, he had been captured just a few weeks ago in the Department of Mysteries by six schoolchildren and imprisoned in Azkaban. He had recently been freed from Azkaban with the gracious help of his Lord. He shuddered involuntarily as he remembered Lord Voldemort's 'punishment.'

Currently, Nott, along with a few new recruits were flying high above the highway, tracking the damned Potter boy. A pair of Omniculars rested in his hand. The Lord had given this task to Nott, because Nott was one of his best and most reliable soldiers, and was in charge of an important mission: tracking Potter and attacking at any possible chance.

Of course, this was what Nott thought. In reality, Voldemort used Nott because he was a wizard of average power, and easily expendable. His job was to track Potter, but not to attack him. Voldemort's only intention was to frighten Potter, and posting eight Death Eaters on a 24-hour basis around him was a very effective way to shake anybody up.

They had been flying for one hour now, and Nott was getting bored easily. A sudden voice interrupted his daydreams of being Voldemort's finest servant.

"Sir! Potter's vehicle is acting strange! Look!" A new recruit gained his attention.

Shaking off thoughts of torturing the man for interrupting his thoughts, Nott watched in morbid fascination as the car started to wobble slightly, then after a few seconds, it started to madly swerve around the five lanes, amazingly not hitting any others.

Now, Nott may have been a pureblood, but he knew enough of the muggle world to know that cars were used for transportation, they were extremely heavy, and if you crashed one on the highway, you would most likely not survive. Unconsciously taking a deep breath, he signaled for the rest of his team to follow him, and dived down low.

Safely under disillusionment charms, Nott watched as he saw the outline of a fat, burly man reaching to the backseat for something, and lose control of the car. He followed its progress as it bumped another car, twisted, and was thrown onto the metal bracer. By now, Nott was sweating. His Lord had given specific orders _not_ to harm the Potter boy, and if he were hurt in this inevitable doom of a car crash, Voldemort would surely relieve his frustrations on Nott.

Potter had become an obsession to the Dark Lord. He supposed it was only natural; the Dark Lord had been trying to kill Potter for 15 years. Voldemort forbade any harm to befall Potter, saving him for himself.

Cursing himself for what he was about to do, Nott dived even lower, just a few feet above the car behind Potter, and began to form the words to the stabilization charm. Before he could even get the first syllable out, the car underneath him sped ahead, and nicked Potter's car on the underside.

At first, it seemed like nothing was going to happen, and after what seemed like an eternity, the car wobbled off of the bracer, and lurched into the direction of the trees. Nott's eyes widened in shock. Desperately, he flung his wand arm out, and cried,

"_ABSTRAHO VEHICULUM!_"

A pale blue light shot out of his wand, and sped toward the car. It missed by inches. The charm vanished into the forest, and Nott saw a body being flung out of the car window, and into the thick grove. He furiously directed his sight at his comrades.

"Men! Fly into the forest, and make sure Potter is all right! If he is hurt, heal him to the best of your ability! Out Lord will have our heads!"

He received an affirmative nod from each of them - they all hated the prospect of having to heal Potter. A burst of flame caught his attention, and Nott turned his head to the car. It was in mid-air, and had just exploded. He cursed. If Potter was inside, then there was no way he could have survived the explosion.

The group slowly descended into the jungle of trees, and flinched as numerous branched swung back and forth, striking them in the face. Nott allowed his eyes to wonder the forest, looking for any sign of Potter. A man called out to him from the car.

"Sir! There are three bodies inside the vehicle, they seem to belong to Potter's muggle relatives."

So there was hope yet. It loathed Nott to hear himself hoping that Potter was all right. Another man called just a few feet from the car.

"Sir! I've found Potter!"

At this, all of the Death Eaters rushed toward him, including Nott. A pitiful sight awaited him. The savior of the wizarding world, the Boy-Who-Lived, and the hero of the first war lied in a small pool of his own blood, its source from a small puncture wound in his left shoulder. His breathing was ragged; his upper body leaned upon a tree trunk. Nott approached the boy carefully, ready for any signs of a surprise attack. He eyed the boy's shoulder thoughtfully, then finally pointed his wand at it, and:

"Sanescere!"

He did not expect for his spell to reflect off of an invisible barrier and hit a stray tree, spraying bark over the group. A semi-transparent white shield flicked before them, seemingly turning on and off like a television screen, before suddenly hardening into an almost totally opaque white barrier. Nott saw a detail he had missed before: Potter's wand lay in his right hand, held in a death grip, pulsing with energy. He could not believe it! Sustaining a shield while unconscious was unheard of! Nott's teeth tightened in anger. He was about to heal Potter, and even that would not work? He was furious.

A signal of pops and cracks came from about fifty meters to their right. It seemed someone else was also watching Potter, and whoever it was, they were not friendly units.

"Wands at the ready," commanded Nott. His squad tightened their holds on their wands. No prior message was sent regarding reinforcements, which only meant one thing: the Order of the Phoenix was here. The ministry was too slow in detecting situations like this, and he doubted Fudge would assign a watch over Potter. The Order of the Phoenix were, in essence, the Death Eater's only real enemy. Aurors were powerful and skilled (for the most part), but Death Eaters far outnumbered them, making what skill the aurors possessed useless.

With no warning, a thick, dark blue beam rushed toward them - it crossed the distance between the two forces in the blink of an eye. The Death Eaters barely had time to dodge, and Nott's hairs stood up on end as the spell sped by. A deep explosion shook the ground, and debris rained down from the Death Eater's backs. Nott didn't even turn around. He knew that only one man besides their Lord could produce a Reductor curse of that magnitude and power. Albus Dumbledore.

With a subtle movement of his hand, the other Death Eaters rallied beside him. In unison, they raised their wands and cried, "Avada Kedavra!" Eight green bolts of death rushed from their wands, but none hit their targets. Expecting the move, the group turned 180 degrees, and came face to face with the Order, where they had just apparated. There were a total of four: Dumbledore, an auror by the name of Tonks, another auror Shacklebolt, and Mad-Eye Moody. Each had a look of grim determination in their eyes. It was Dumbledore who spoke with a deadly glint in his eyes, the normal annoying twinkle gone:

"You will step away from Mr. Potter, drop your wands, and surrender yourselves peacefully. Failure to comply will result in our needing to subdue you by force."

Nott sneered and gathered his magic for a moment. His answer was, "_Aboleo!_" An orange beam erupted from his wand and headed for Dumbledore.

The Headmaster's eye twitched.

The orange beam smashed headlong into an invisible sphere around Dumbledore and seemed to be suspended in the air for a moment, then split into numerous smaller, thinner beams and twisted around Dumbledore's shield, before converging again into one beam behind Dumbledore, and hitting a large tree. The tree seemed to absorb the curse for a second, then it, and the surrounding area within a two feet radius of it, disintegrated upwards in a flash of light. A smoldering crater was all that remained.

The battle started. The Order members immediately sprung into action, while the Death Eaters were a little slow in their response. Dumbledore quickly dispatched two rookies, and he moved to where Harry was. Nott was dueling Shacklebolt, Tonks was handling two new recruits, and Mad-Eye was laughing harshly while dueling three Death Eaters at the same time.

Dumbledore placed a hand gently on Harry's shield, amazed that it was sustained for this long. His hand burned with a sizzle, and Dumbledore jerked back.

_Amazing…Harry's shield will even stop physical contact. A simple Shield charm…I must research this later._ Unheeded, a stray curse from a falling Death Eater that was dueling Mad-Eye came toward Dumbledore. Dumbledore sensed the curse coming, but he knew he was too late. He turned around to endure whatever curse that would take him.

It never did.

Harry's eyes suddenly jerked open, and he gracefully stood and pushed Dumbledore away and took the curse in his shield with unnatural speed and the calm. A fiery glint of determination shone in his eyes.

A rapid stream of pops temporarily distracted both groups' attention. By the Dursley's car appeared a squad of eight more Death Eaters, led by none other than Lucius Malfoy. Nott paused and released a small sigh. He had discreetly signaled for help right before he tried to curse Dumbledore. Malfoy scanned the situation quickly and jumped into battle with a sneer, flinging a curse at Tonks.

"_Caesum!_"

A wicked looking curved beam of crimson spun through the air, heading for Tonks, who turned at the last minute, finally noticing the deadly slashing hex. Surprise and fear flashed through her eyes as the red curse approached her.

It never made contact. Harry had jumped in front of the beam at the last possible moment and reinforced his shield with a grunt of "_Protego!_."

The slashing hex slammed into his shield, digging Harry's heels into the ground. Both sides paused to watch, as Harry struggled with his shield, his brow covered in a sheen of sweat. He stood for a few long moments, battling the curse, then he gripped his wand with both hands, and jerked it upwards. The curse was deflected high into the air, but Harry was blown backwards by the force of the deflection. He picked himself up slowly, his eyes never leaving Malfoy.

Harry's shield flicked as he got up, and with a final grunt as Harry shook off some dirt, the shield disappeared. Harry slowly raised his wand up to eye level, and pointed it directly at Lucius Malfoy's face.

His vision flashed gold for a split second, and suddenly, his senses were heightened. He could _feel _the magic in the air, and everyone glowed a soft gold, symbolizing the magic within their bodies. He heard the soft crunch of the leaves as one of the Death Eaters backed away, and he could sense his fear. His attention was instinctively drawn back towards Malfoy, and he saw the reason why. Malfoy's arm was outstretched, wand in hand, and he saw a dark patch of magic manifesting in his chest, and spread through his body, up towards Malfoy's wand. A feeling of power washed through his body and he felt at peace, totally calm, as if he were walking through a peaceful meadow. Words Harry had never heard before came out of his mouth, forming a spell that he did not know. The words were foreign, but Harry felt a strange sense of…content, as if he had used them all his life.

"_Ostivus Darido._." The words were simply stated; Harry's voice never left conversation level. It was almost as if he was bored.

Lucius Malfoy never stood a chance. A peach colored beam hit him full on the face, and his head exploded in a burst of blood and gore; his body slowly collapsing forward. Everybody looked at Harry in shock. Dumbledore felt that the words were familiar somehow, but he couldn't place where he had heard them before. He, being the closest to Harry, looked into his eyes, and was taken aback. His eyes were completely shining gold, even the whites. The golden light flared; it looked like a fire of power. He spoke - his voice has calm but deadly.

"_Who's next._"

A Death Eater from Malfoy's squad, presumably his second in command, stepped forth. Undeterred by Malfoy's sudden end, he lifted his wand with a sneer and with a sharp jabbing motion, cried:

"_Operui acerbitas!_"

A purple 'net' of magic sprung from his wand. It enveloped Harry and wrapped tightly around him. Harry gritted his teeth together, obviously fighting something.

Dumbledore recognized this curse. It was a pain curse, wrapping the victim in a net of pain. He felt that this curse belonged with the Unforgivables, but the only reason it was not was because the level of pain varied between the magical power of the user. From the looks of it, this particular curse was above average, although not the most powerful. Light hues were weak, and darker ones were stronger, the strongest being black.

Harry strained against the net, trying to break loose. Something had awakened inside of him, but now, it was rapidly losing strength. A second Death Eater joined the curse, his net combining with the first. The net now turned a dark brown. As more Death Eaters were about to join, Dumbledore regained his senses and ran his wand over the group in a large sweeping motion.

"_Deterbo!_"

The Death Eaters were blown back, and he heard some distinct cracks and pops of bones as Death Eaters were slammed into trees. Dumbledore quickly rushed over to Harry as the rest of the Order resumed fighting. Harry's eyes were now their natural emerald green again, though Dumbledore could have sworn there was a faint trace of gold within. Harry was panting; his head was covered in sweat.

"Harry, are you alright?"

"…"

"Harry?"

"I'm…I'm fine Professor. Thanks for saving me." Dumbledore smiled.

"I am glad you are alright Harry. You had me worried there for a minute." Dumbledore had relief in his eyes.

"Me too." Before Dumbledore could question this, three green beams of death forced them to separate, narrowly missing their targets. Dumbledore pulled a necklace of a phoenix in flight from within his robes and threw it to Harry.

"Harry! Take this! It's a portkey to headquarters! We'll clean up here and talk later!" Too tired to bother to argue, Harry outstretched his hand to grab the portkey. However, Fate decided to screw Harry over once again.

Nott was still dueling Shacklebolt, and just before he was stunned, he had time to mouth out a Reductor curse.

Lucius' second in command saw Dumbledore throw a portkey at Potter and shot a slowing curse at it. Unbeknownst, Nott's reductor flew wildly and hit the portkey at the same time the slowing curse did. A strange ripple came out of the portkey as the spells made contact, disturbing the air around it. Time seemed to slow down and everyone turned to watch as, a bare moment later, it landed in the outstretched hand of Harry.

As the portkey made contact, a starburst of light exploded from within the portkey, radiating a striking blue and white. Suddenly, a flash of fire erupted nearby and Fawkes appeared out of nowhere and flew to Harry at breakneck speed. The light contracted back into the portkey, pulsed, then exploded a hundred fold more brilliant than before. Its power was so great, the surrounding trees were flattened down, and Death Eater and Order member alike were thrown haphazardly around. The light finally disappeared with a sucking noise, and then there was calm.

Dumbledore was the first to recover. He lowered his arm that he used to shield himself, the flamboyant purple and yellow sleeve burnt. He slowly stood up, and gazed in wonder where Harry was. Or at least, where Harry should have been. Scorched grass and wind marks were all epicentered from a bare patch of dirt where Harry should have been standing.

Harry was nowhere to be found. Neither was Fawkes.

---------------------------------------------

Read and review please!


	3. Confusion

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. However, I do own everything else that JK Rowling does not write. Which means the plot, and the individual character developments.

**POSTED: 9/18/05**

**EDITED: 9/25/05**

Thanks to all for reviewing, glad you liked it

And Theoddguy, I have every intention of continuing this story to the end. And sequel, as well as some more.

**Chapter 3: Confusion**

Voldemort sat on his throne in Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton. He ran an appraising eye over the crowd of Death Eaters at his feet, judging them all. He had received a report just over an hour ago from one of his new recruits (in Nott's squad), speaking of a fantastic tale of a car crash, a powerful shield, the Order of the Phoenix, and…Harry Potter.

The boy had become a central part of Voldemort's life. He was responsible for his departure, and arrival onto this world. He felt a strange sense of duty to kill the child, and told his Death Eaters that that right was reserved for him and him only. Any harm that fell upon Potter would be placed on a Death Eater, and the unfortunate man that Voldemort chose would not have a pleasant day. Finally, he spoke.

"Death Eaters, I have a proposition for you all." He began his speech with a hideous sneer.

"As many of you know, this June several of my most faithful and powerful Death Eaters were defeated in the Department of Mysteries by six schoolchildren. Those involved will be, or have already been punished accordingly. I dueled with the muggle loving fool, and was forced to make a tactical retreat. I have since then decided that no longer will we stand idle and watch as the wizarding world prepares for my return, but rather, we will launch a preemptive strike! I had ordered six Death Eaters under Nott's squad to watch over Potter, and frighten him; let him know that Lord Voldemort is forever watching.

"Two of the original six returned an hour ago, spewing tales from their miserable mouths of a car crash, a muggle invention, the Order of the Phoenix, and Harry Potter. They have been killed.

"This is the price that awaits you for your failures under Lord Voldemort. The Dark Mark told me of an ambush set on Nott's group, and I mobilized Lucius' squad to intercept. Alas, Lucius was slain, and only one survivor escaped from his group. He has been killed.

"Two of my elite Death Eater squads, killed or captured by Dumbledore's Order. _I will not tolerate failure anymore._" Voldemort's voice reduced to a deathly whisper. "Any further assignments _will_ be carried out efficiently. If you fail, you would do better to kill yourself, rather than report back to me, or go to prison. Because I _will_ break you out of Azkaban, if only to teach you a lesson in failing your Lord, then killing you. Understand this, for I will never again repeat what you should consider a warning. Dismissed."

The Death Eaters bowed down low and hurriedly scrambled toward the door. Fright was carved into their faces like a sculpture. Voldemort's voice rang out above the crowd.

"Bellatrix, Rookwood! Stay."

The two Death Eaters slowly turned around; anticipating whatever their Lord might have in stock for them. They slowly approached Voldemort and kissed the hem of his robes.

"How may I serve you, milord?" the two softly murmured.

"Take your squads and attack Diagon Alley in two days. Kill as many as you can."

---------

Dumbledore sat in an Order meeting, his face solemn. His chin rested on his hands, folded, with his elbows propped up on the table. The twinkle that was normally found in his eyes grew dimmer every minute. Harry had disappeared in the middle of a Death Eater battle, by a portkey, no less. Portkeys were highly unstable; contrary to popular belief, because no one really knew how they worked. Sure, they knew how to create one, but the mechanics behind the theory were long forgotten; an obscure art. He could only take solace in knowing that Fawkes had gone with Harry, wherever he was. He had called an emergency Order meeting immediately after he discovered Harry was gone.

Members drifted in through the kitchen door, some confused as to the cause of the meeting, some taking a seat and waiting patiently. Moody, Tonks, and Shacklebolt were seated next to Dumbledore. He softly tapped the side of his glass to get everybody's attention. The noise quieted down.

"I call this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to order." The room softly glowed; it recognized the password and placed the necessary enchantments to the room.

"This afternoon, Harry Potter was intercepted while on his way to his Muggle relative's house. Although we are not sure of what happened, we believe Death Eaters attacked the Dursley's vehicle. All of the Dursleys are dead." Several gasps were heard at this, some nodded in grim acknowledgement.

"Tonks was on watch duty, and alerted Moody, Shacklebolt and I as soon as Death Eaters appeared. We arrived to see Harry on the ground, and Death Eaters surrounding him. We engaged them in battle and managed to capture or kill most of them. However…"

The rest of the Order meeting was spent retelling Harry's disappearance, as well as Fawkes.

No one slept that night.

-------

A patch of sunlight lazily drifted in through the trees. Birds chirped as they fed their young. The forest was bathed in a soft mixture of hues; green, yellow, brown. A stream flowed nearby, the peaceful sound of water echoing through the woods. A gust of wind blew, sending a warm breeze throughout. All was calm. Peaceful. Nothing was out of place.

Almost nothing.

A young man lay amongst a pile of leaves, his breathing shallow. He had unruly jet-black hair; his clothes were torn and bloody. A puncture wound garnished his left shoulder. This boy, was Harry Potter.

A bird landed on his face, hopping around, chirping joyfully. Harry groaned. He brought his hand up to his face, and batted whatever object was there, away. The bird flew in fright. Slowly, Harry squinted his eyes open, the sunlight blinding him. As he rolled over, a searing pain in his shoulder sent him back on his back, gasping. Harry turned his head, and looked to see the cause. His left shoulder was completely bloody, a wound, about an inch in diameter, showed through his robes. Shakily, Harry stood up.

Blood rushed to his head in a vertigo of color. He stumbled and leaned against a tree for support. As the rush of blood cleared, Harry took in his surroundings. Gone was the sound of rushing cars on the highway. Gone were the flames from the Dursley's car. Gone were the Death Eaters…as was the Order. He looked around, trying to find something familiar. The trees were different… they seemed…younger. There were no battle scars on the landscape. No crater from Nott's curse. It was like he was in a different world. Harry looked around in wonder. How was this possible? Dumbledore said it was a Portkey to headquarters. Just as he was about to give up hope, a soft trill from above calmed his nerves.

Wait a minute…he had heard that before! Harry jerked his head upwards, to see Fawkes lazily flying in a circle overhead. His face erupted in a broad smile.

"Fawkes!"

The phoenix trilled again in response and made to fly down towards him. Harry smiled again. At least Fawkes was here. The phoenix came down and landed on a small branch near Harry. He cocked his head at Harry questionably and placed some tears on Harry's shoulder. The wound instantly closed up, and Harry smiled at Fawkes gratefully. The phoenix merely hopped off to another branch in response.

Harry took this time to examine his surroundings. He appeared to be in the same wood as before, but there was something different about this place… something that he could feel in his bones. He did not belong here.

Suddenly, Harry's ears picked up dull snap, followed by a fast whoosh. On instinct, he turned to the source of the sound. It saved his life. An arrow whisked by his head, catching a stray strand of hair. It imbedded itself in the tree behind Harry with a blunt thwack, and Harry's eyes widened.

A figure stood about 25 meters from Harry. Their body was covered in shadow, and they wore a hood. A sword was strapped at their side, and a bow rested in their hands. A plain looking satchel hung loosely from their shoulder. The figure pulled another arrow from their quiver, and notched it on their bow. The figure pulled back on the string. Harry ran.

Another arrow embedded itself right where Harry was less than half a second ago with deadly accuracy. Harry sprinted as fast as he could, in no particular direction, he just wanted to get as far away from the mysterious person as fast as he could. A third arrow whizzed by Harry's face, missing by centimeters. He turned around just in time to see a fourth arrow speeding toward him, and it struck Harry's shoulder.

A searing pain unlike which he had ever felt before racked his body as the arrow completely blew through his body and into a tree. Harry was blown down to the ground by the force of the arrow and lay there for a few moments, blood trickling out of his wound.

_Damn, I just got that shoulder fixed!_ Ignoring the pain, Harry stood up, feeling a little doozy, and ran.

The figure strapped their bow to their back, drew their sword, and give chase. He ran even faster.

Branches and trees ran into his face as Harry ran away. Fawkes was right above him, and he descended down to almost Harry's level. He let loose a soft trill. After about five minutes of non-stop running, Harry allowed himself a little break. He looked back, and saw no sign of the figure. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth.

Harry turned back to the way he was running, and began to walk… straight into a sword. The blade rose, almost lazily, to his neck. The figure was leaning against a tree to his left, the sword held in their right hand. Harry gulped.

He got a good look at his persuer, and sucked in a breath in surprise. It was a woman! Her hood had fallen down, probably during the chase, and revealed a sharp, angular face with high cheekbones, and jet-black hair so dark it looked almost blue flowing down to the small of her back in slight waves. Her skin was slightly pale, and her eyes were a stormy grayish blue, cold and calculating. She was dressed in a midnight blue cloak with gold trim and had dark blue slacks and tunic. A blue scabbard hung from her hip. A bow was attached to her back, and a quiver of arrows with black feathers was also on her back. A satchel hung by her sheath. It was plain gray, and something prodded out from its end. The handle of a dagger prodded out from her right side, next to her stomach. Various other objects and weapons were strapped to her slim figure. She looked menacing.

Harry starred, dumbstruck, at the young woman by his side. She was around his height, and he thought she was beautiful. If not for the sword at his neck, he would have blushed. He was taken out of his reverie by the sword rising higher, and he was forced on his tiptoes.

_How did she catch up with me so fast?_

"Any last words before you die?" Her tone was harsh and rough. The question had an accusatory tone. Although her voice had a cutting edge, Harry did not fail to miss the soft and musical sound of it.

"Wait!" Harry snapped into reality. "I don't even know where I am, let alone why you're trying to kill me! At least give me a chance to explain!"

Her eyes narrowed. "And, do tell, _why_ I should believe you?"

Harry was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to get out of this?

"Uh…I'll swear a wizard's oath?" It looked like he had hit the jackpot. A wizard's oath was a magically binding contract, and failure to meet its terms resulted in death, or worse. It was the ultimate sign of trust when someone willingly agreed to swear an oath. Her eyes lost their accusatory glare, and instead, were replaced with confusion and suspicion. The sword was released from Harry's neck and was slowly brought to her side. Her grip loosened a bit, although still ready to fight in a moment's notice.

"Now."

"Um… excuse me?"

"Swear a wizard's oath. Now."

"What should I say?"

She was instantly annoyed.

"I don't know! You brought it up!" she snapped. Harry gulped again. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his face.

"Uh… I solemnly swear upon my honor as a wizard to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth and to not harm this person or their friends." He borrowed the line from muggle courts, as he could not think of anything else. A faint light glowed from within his body, and transferred to the young woman. It was complete. Only she could release him from his oath now. She visibly relaxed, and let loose a sigh. It seemed that the wizard's oath allowed her to trust him. She looked at Harry's wounded shoulder, and spoke.

"We'd better get that cleaned up."

With no warning, Fawkes landed on top of Harry's head and let out a soft trill. He put his eyes to Harry's shoulder and cried a few tears. His wound healed instantly. Her eyes widened a bit.

"A phoenix…"

She sheathed her sword and walked toward Harry's right.

"Come. We will go to my village. You have much to explain." With that, she turned her back on him and walked away without a second glance.

"Wait! I'm Harry, Harry Potter. What's your name?" She paused in mid step. She slowly inclined her head toward him. Her hair blew in the wind, sending some of it across her eyes. They softened at him.

"I'm… Rowena. Rowena Ravenclaw."

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Diagon Alley was having a normal day. It was midday, the busiest time, especially since school had just finished and parents were taking their kids out for some special occasion. Shopkeepers on break chatted happily with their customers by their store. Kids ran around, laughing and eating ice cream at Fortescue's. A couple of aurors were positioned at the entrance to Diagon Alley, chatting happily with some passing families. It was midday, and Diagon Alley was packed full. No need for more aurors, right? Voldemort wouldn't dare attack in the middle of the day.

Oh, how wrong they were.

Eleven figures apparated in various side alleys between the stores, dropped a small package, and disapparated as quickly as they had come. No one noticed them. The figures met inside Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley a few seconds later, and nodded at a woman in black robes and a cloak. She smiled. It was an evil smile, more of a predatory smirk than anything else. Bellatrix Lesterange donned a pale white mask; its features set in malicious laughter. The others followed her example. With a pop, the twelve figures were no more.

-------

A lone child strayed into a dark side alley next to Madam Malkin's, and spotted a package in the corner. This child was muggleborn. This child recognized dynamite when he saw it. And right now, he saw dynamite. He screamed.

"MUM! DAD! THERES DYNAMITE IN HERE!"

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At the same time, twelve figures in black apparated into the middle of Diagon Alley in a circle. The crowd looked at the sudden intruders in confusion and recongized the apparel of the Death Eaters. Shock was etched on their faces as the leader pressed a remote control with a red button. There was a small pause, and the explosions were heard all over. Madam Malkin's, and eleven other stores exploded outwards in a flash of fire, sending shards of glass and debris to the streets. Debris flew everywhere, obscuring the sun in dust. Diagon Alley was covered in darkness as smoke rose. All of the Death Eater's grinned a malicious feral grin – this new idea of trying muggle explosives had earned skepticism at first, and some Death Eaters outright refused to accept it, but enhancing the explosives with magic had exceed their highest expectations. The fire spread from store to store at an unnatural pace, and soon, the noon sky was covered with smoke and soot – it appeared to be nighttime. Someone screamed.

Five seconds later, everyone in Diagon Alley was running for their lives. The twelve Death Eaters rose their wands.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

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Three different forces across magical London just received word of the attack.

Voldemort sat in his throne, his mouth set in a malicious smile, and he let loose a horrible screech of a laugh. He prepared to apparate into Diagon Alley. The people would never know what hit them.

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement rang with sirens and flashed with red lights as aurors ran out from their offices and donned their battle robes. A loud voice erupted over the commotion.

"Diagon Alley under attack!"

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Headmaster Dumbledore sat in his office at Hogwarts, sucking on a Lemon drop, brooding over Harry's disappearance, and his strange powers at the Death Eater battle. A loud wailing from a glass orb interrupted his thoughts. Diagon Alley was under attack. Sighing, he stood and signaled for the Order through a similar device on his desk, relayed the message that Diagon Alley was under attack and took a portkey to the battlefield.

It had begun. The second war had officially started.

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In Diagon Alley, twelve figures danced around the streets, laughing in delight, their wands flashing red and green as Cruciatus Curses and Avada Kedavra's were handed out to anyone in their way. Goblins from Gringotts ran out and ushered people into the haven of Gringotts.

And suddenly, a lone man apparated into Diagon Alley, his pale skin reflecting the fires, his blood red eyes widening in joy. His snake-like tongue lashed out and licked his lips.

Voldemort had arrived.

A pop from the opposite end of Diagon Alley, near Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, signified the arrival of aurors. Another pop meant the Order had arrived. So had Dumbledore.

Voldemort smiled at Dumbledore. Dumbledore only drew his wand.

All hell broke loose.


	4. Revelations

Ahh… my longest chapter yet. Over 4,200 words. Should get longer now.

Thanks to all the reviews, I'm glad to see people like my story

**Shadowed Rains: **Your questions will be answered in this chapter. ; )

**Illusion0910**: "_Is the pairing harry/rowena?_" I don't know. Is it?

**POSTED: 9/19/05**

**EDITED: 9/25/05**

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. However, I do own everything else that JK Rowling does not write. Which means the plot, and the individual character developments.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 4: Revelations**

"_Caedes!_"

"_Protego! Accendo Flagrum!"_

_"Avada Kedavra!_"

The battle raged on. Good versus evil. Dumbledore versus Voldemort.

Diagon Alley was covered in flames. Numerous plumes of smoke rose high into the sky, obscuring the sunlight. Day became night. Debris fell at random intervals from various destroyed buildings, occasionally hitting a running civilian. Ollivander's was surrounded by flame, its owner guarding the building, two wands in hand. Goblins were ushering any stranglers left on the streets hurriedly, a goblin pike in each one's hand. A normal day in Diagon Alley had become hell in less than ten minutes.

Voldemort had arrived just minutes before, heading toward Gringotts when the Order and the aurors and arrived. Death Eaters and Light side forces alike lay strewn along the streets, blood oozing from their wounds. At least half of them bore the telltale expression of the killing curse. Alastor Moody calmly limped over a body and surveyed the scene. He spotted a large group of Death Eaters marching toward Gringotts, and with an expression of grim determination, he moved to intercept.

------------------------------------------

"Tom! What do you hope to gain by this?" A pale green curse struck Dumbledore's shield; it harmlessly flew into the sky. He and Voldemort had been dueling for a few minutes, yet both leaders had sweat pouring down their faces.

"To show these filthy mudbloods that Lord Voldemort will rule! Avada Kedavra!" Both sides relentlessly struck.

Dumbledore just barely dodged the green beam of death and shakily stood up. His youth had long gone, and he as feeling very worn out already. Voldemort saw this and smirked.

"Feeling a tad tired, Dumbledore?" His tone was mocking; an evil glee lay in his unnatural eyes.

"Not at all Tom! At least, not enough to do this, _Lux Lucis Canorus!_" Dumbledore waved his wand in a circle and jabbed in the middle. A pure beam of white exploded from within, and sped toward Voldemort. Dumbledore stumbled back from the shockwave. The spell he had just used was a very draining spell. It was a completely Light spell, one that caused harm to anyone with darkness in their soul. The more darkness, the more painful it was. Voldemort, naturally, was completely blown away from the spell and into a pile of rubble.

Dumbledore knew that it would be futile to try and harm Voldemort any more, as only Harry could do that, since Voldemort should have been dead already by that spell, only the prophecy keeping him alive. He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Tom, Tom, Tom... You could have been so much... But you chose the wrong path. Goodbye, for now." With that, Dumbledore picked up a random piece of rock, muttered "portus," and casually tossed it into Voldemort's upright hand. He only had time to widen his eyes before he disappeared in a flash of green light. Dumbledore sighed. The battle had taken a lot out of him, and he was not sure how much longer he could continue this lifestyle. He could only hope Harry returned in time before he began his next great adventure.

---------------------------------------------

The Death Eaters had long since killed any civilians still left on the streets, and were moving to lay siege on Gringotts. Goblin magic was some of the strongest defensive magic in existence, and their Lord wanted the secrets to the jealously guarded craft. Their mission was to take several Goblins hostage and hand them to their Lord, where he would extract their knowledge by Legilimency. Death was the alternative.

A yellow curse exploded at their feet, blasting a ditch from the stone, and effectively stopping their advance. A lone figure with a wooden leg limped out of the smoke.

"Now boys, you wouldn't want to miss out on all this _fun_ would you? Now that wouldn't be very gentlemen-like, would it?" Mad-Eye Moody stepped out. His tone was sarcastic, mocking the Death Eaters.

"What are you going to do, _ex_-auror? Shoot spitballs at us?" Bellatrix Lesterange sneered. The other Death Eaters erupted in laughter.

Moody smiled and snapped his fingers. Another figure stepped out from behind a falling building. Another soon joined. In less than five seconds, thirty members of the Order and the auror force had gathered in front of the Death Eaters.

"Death Eaters, I'd like you to meet my _spitballs_. Still feel like staying? 2 to 1 odds aren't very good you know."

The Death Eaters smiles were instantly washed away.

"So be it. _Avada Kedavra!_"

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Harry was in shock. His brain had frozen moments ago, washing away any coherent thought. His face paled.

"What's wrong? Are you sick or something?" Rowena's voice shook him out of his stupor. Her face was set in a frown. She made to reach out to him, but Harry shook his head.

"It's... nothing. I'll explain later."

"Okay then... We better get going before… _they_…get us."

"Huh?" She smirked at him.

"I'll explain later." Harry smiled at her answer, and they continued on.

-----------------------------

"So..." Rowena's voice broke the screaming silence. "Where are you from? I've never seen clothes like that before. I command you by your wizard's oath to tell me." She smirked at the internal battle inside Harry as he tried to fight the oath. A long moment later, he answered.

"I'm... from Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts? What's that?"

"A magical school for wizards and witches in Northern Britain, near Scotland."

"Britain? Scotland? And a magical school? I've never heard of such things."

"..." Silence met her questions. Harry's face had lost all its color, and he was shaking his head vigorously as a 'no'.

"Why won't you answer me?"

_Damn! She just _had_ to ask that question, of all the others to ask! _The wizard's oath forced him to answer. He tried his best to manipulate the answer.

"Because... it's a dangerous secret." He hoped Rowena wouldn't press the issue.

"Why? What is it? I command you to tell me."

_Oh, boy. Now I have no choice at all, die or answer the question._

"I'm... from the future. It should be around at least 1000 years since I've met you." Rowena's face changed from curiosity, to shock, to confusion, and to suspicion at once. It would have been a comical sight, if not for the serious situation they were in. Quick as lightening, she drew her sword and pressed it to Harry's neck.

"Are you an assassin sent to kill me? Destroy my clan? And why would meeting me make any difference?" Her eyes sparked with an untamed fire, just waiting to be released.

"Take it easy! I'm _not_ here to harm you _or_ your tribe. And it's because you're one of the four founders of Hogwarts, and known throughout the world for your wisdom." Rowena lowered her sword and looked skeptical at the comment about her wisdom. She then looked at Harry with a look he had only seen in Hermione's eyes just before she went to research the Chamber of Secrets in second year. He resigned himself to a long conversation. Rowena's voice shook him from his thoughts.

"Explain."

------------------------------------------------

An hour later, Harry and Rowena were still walking through the forest. He had been forced to tell her his entire life story, something he had done with no one before, not even Ron or Hermione. He told about the Dursleys, and how he had been mistreated there, and about Hagrid's appearance and his introduction into the wizarding world. He told her about the adventures he had at Hogwarts, how scared he had been when he faced the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets and how excited he felt when Sirius was about to be proven innocent. How his excitement had been reduced to a dream that night when Sirius was captured. How fourth year had been tough on him with the Tri-wizard tournament and Voldemort's return. And most recently, how he had lost Sirius. He told her about the Death Eaters and how he had gotten to where he was now.

Rowena occasionally interrupted to ask some questions, mostly about what wizarding life in the future and especially demanded a full blow-by-blow account of how he got there; including what spells had been used on the portkey.

"I suppose its only natural... considering that portkeys are extremely mysterious and the spells used on it certainly could have caused an adverse reaction... who knows?" Harry supposed that made sense, after all, Dumbledore had confessed to him that he knew nothing about portkeys except how to create one when Harry asked him about it in one of their meetings. Rowena paused and turned to look at him.

"I suppose that you'll want to know about me and what life is in the past? I can't say I blame you and it would only be fair since you've told me yours... This isn't something I've ever done before. But first… let me remove the wizard's oath from you. You've kept your side of the deal. I hearby release you from your wizard's oath."

A golden glow came from within Rowena's body and went into Harry's. Immediately, he felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, free. He now remembered the feeling of uneasiness and helplessness he experienced when the oath was placed on him. It felt like a part of his life belonged to Rowena, which it had.

Harry thanked her and grinned sheepishly. "Neither have I." Rowena smiled and began her tale.

The year was 992, and there was no major government or city yet. All the people, at least, the magical people, lived in separate clans and tribes who constantly fought over land, power, anything. Although the people were magical, only very rich or powerful people could afford wands or other magical channels, so using magic was actually pretty rare. The tribes each had a magical blacksmith or someone similar to make cheap magical channels. Usually, these were easy to come by and make, like a glove embedded with stones. The greatest reason why wands and proper magical channels were so rare, was because the magical core needed only came from magical animals and they were scarce. Gemstones could store some magic, so ordinary people used these for simple magic; they could not do anything else.

There was another option for magic, and that was magical weapons. Only the elite of the elite could have a magical weapon, because they were made for people based on the level of skill, not money. These weapons were made with a magical core inside the blade or the point of damage, and combined with the owner's blood to make it even more powerful. Rituals were used to bind the owner to their weapon, and gems were set in the pommel to store magic. Each weapon took an enormous amount of time and effort to make, and some even took more than 10 years!

Each tribe or clan had their own symbol, usually an animal of some sort. The tribes or clans were built in strategically effective places, near water and forest and plains for food and materials. Each tribe or clan was surrounded by a wall of some sort, which was added for protection. They were closed every night, not to reopen until sunrise. Rowena's clan name was the Oniali, and her father was the leader. The Oniali's wall was made of thick wood, and reached twenty feet high. They were currently at war with the Lyth tribe, so security was especially tight now. The Lyths were a neighboring group of magical people that engaged war on them after a boy from the Lyth tribe wondered into Oniali territory, which resulted in the boy's death. It had been 5 weeks since the killing, and neither side had yet launched an attack on the other.

Rowena had grown up as the third child of a family of four, and was like the outcast of the family. Her siblings, two brothers and a sister, had chosen paths as great scholars and tradesmen, while Rowena had taken the path of a ranger. A ranger was the elite of the elite, and spent their entire lives honing their skills as a swordsman and spellcaster. A ranger was a very dangerous path to chose, and the prejudice was that only rough, hardened men took this occupation. Rowena's eldest brother, Ladewig, had become a great scholar, and was the clan's education specialist, and passed his knowledge to children. Greyson, her second brother, who was only a couple years older than her, was a trader, and was in charge of the clan's trade and agriculture.

They seemed like nice enough people, Harry decided, after hearing Rowena's descriptions of them, but Merita, Rowena's younger sister by two years, didn't sound like a very nice person. Merita was a spoiled brat, getting everything she wanted, because their mother had died in a clan war against the Wolves many years ago. Her father, Dalin, was in grief for a long time, and since Merita was their most recent child, and as a reminder of his lost wife, spoiled her silly. She was bratty and childish, whining and complaining for the things she wanted. Even boys. A man who refused her was instantly put in jail or executed, but this did not happen often, according to Rowena. Merita has beautiful, as much as she loathed to admit it, and no man was foolish enough to reject her. She was treated like a princess, and did not know the meaning of "loss." Rowena hated her. The feeling was mutual.

Her family had pushed her away initially, after she had chosen to become a ranger, saying she was foolish and reckless, and should have chosen a noble and high class profession, such as a scholar, like Ladewig, or a tradesman, like Greyson. Greyson and Ladewig had apologized later, and respected her wishes to become a ranger. So had her father. Although they had apologized, tensions were still high between them. But Merita, scorned Rowena, and made snide comments about her death in the woods one day. After Rowena had smacked her across the face, Merita made no more comments, but still glared at her whenever they saw each other.

Her mother's death had driven Rowena to become a ranger, as she wanted to protect the people and prevent another family into becoming like hers. She loved nature, and could spend the whole day in the forest, listening to the sounds of nature. She frequently wondered the woods, so not seeing her for the whole day was a commonly occurring event in the Raven clan. Her clan's population numbered the hundreds, but it seemed everyone knew her.

Her clan believed in independence, and so everyone lived by themselves after the age of 14, until they married and had a family. Their main source of food was farming, so meat was a delicacy. Rowena had grown up alone; her father too wallowed up in grief over her mother and her brothers too busy in training. Rowena and Merita, of course, avoided each other. Her closest parental figure was Elena, the wife of the rangers guild leader. She had met Elena one day after a confrontation with Merita and had found great advice on how to deal with her spoiled sister.

The rangers, were, by definition, solitary warriors to protect the land when needed, but there was a ranger guild, where they helped each other train and banded together against a common enemy in war times. The rangers were the heart of the clan, and the Ravens would not be able to exist without them. Rowena had been on reconnaissance when she had found Harry, and was now taking him to her village. The day had turned to pitch black night during their walk, and they could just begin to see lights of the Raven clan in the distance.

"Hurry, before the sentries close the gates and we're locked out," Rowena ushered. Harry paused, just then realizing something.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just… How are we gonna explain…"

"Yes, go on… Explain what?"

"… Me." Rowena's expression turned to deep thought. She hesitantly spoke after a moment of silence.

"I don't know… But now's not the time to worry about that! If we don't hurry, then we won't be able to get in until morning, and who knows what could happen?" Harry nodded slowly, skeptical about Rowena's words. With that, they sprinted the rest of the length of the way to the Ravens, and managed to slip in past the gates as they slammed shut a second later. A sigh of relief escaped both of their mouths. They turned to the direction of Rowena's house, but were stopped by some _people_. Fifty people.

A tall man of six foot five inches stood at the front, graying hair evident, and cold gray eyes stared at Rowena. He was donned in robes of the finest velvet and a black cloak with a golden raven clasp donned his shoulders. His eyes flickered to Harry suspiciously.

"Rowena." His voice was deep and raspy; it sounded like the growl of a lion.

"Father," she replied coolly with an even stare. Harry was surprised inside, but he didn't show it. This rough looking man was Rowena's father? Apparently, her 'disrespectful' response set him off.

"_Where have you been! The other rangers couldn't find you and you show up just seconds before the gate closes, with a strange boy, no less! You have a lot of explaining to do._" Rowena sent a glare his way. When she spoke, her voice was poisonous, like a snake striking.

"I was on recon duty, _father_," the word was spat out, "and as for this _boy_, as you so adequately put it, he has a name, and it's Harry. He will be staying with me." Dalin's eyes narrowed and scanned Harry, judging him. Harry stood defiantly, his chin held high.

"What business does this… _ruffian_ have with you, Rowena? He looks strange; I have never seen clothes like that before." The rest of the crowed murmured softly. Some edged forward to get a better look at Harry. He stood still, matching every one of their gazes, showing them that he was not afraid.

"Harry's business with me is none of your concern. His origin is none of your business and you needn't worry about him."

"_No._ This boy will NOT stay in my clan. He will leave now and never return. This boy could be a spy from the Dogs, sent to discover our deepest secrets!" The last sentence was said with a roar, and the crowd seemed to agree with Dalin. They were pumping their arms in the air, and shouting obscenities; a few people even thrust a few spears at him.

Harry had had enough. Rowena had just returned from a long absence and this was how they treated her? With accusations and threats? No, he would not tolerate it any longer. Bringing himself to his full height, he whipped his wand out and pointed it directly to the sky. His eyes glowed golden for a flash, and disappeared as soon as it had come. No one noticed. They were too busy staring in shock at Harry's wand. Like the first time, words that seemed familiar to Harry came out of his mouth, but he was sure that he had never heard them before.

"_ADIGO FLATO!_"

Instantly, a golden ball of light appeared at the end of Harry's wand, much like the lumos spell, but then it expanded, like a balloon, paused, sucked inwards like a collapsing hot-air balloon, then exploded outwards in a shockwave of light as Harry slammed it down towards the ground. The sphere of light went through all of the people, and propelled them outwards from epicenter at Harry's wand. They landed flat on their butts, and some of them were knocked out. Dalin stumbled back, covering his face with his hands. Rowena took this chance to speak.

"No, father, Harry _will_ stay, or else I leave with him. As for trust…" here she glance at him for a moment, "I would trust him with my life." A gasp was heard from those awake in the crowd, and even Dalin looked surprised. Even Harry was taken aback, though he did not show it. Rowena had told him earlier that trust was a big issue in clans, because traitors were common and paranoia was a normal occurrence – and for good reason. Hearing her say that she trusted Harry that much shocked everyone.

"Well," Dalin spoke, "if you feel that you can trust him… I'll allow it. But don't expect me to treat him like royalty. He _will_ pull his own weight around, or else I'll kick you both out. Understood?"

Rowena nodded, and Harry followed. The crowd parted for them, and without so much as a backwards glance, the two made their way toward Rowena's house. They passed by many houses, and people looked out at them with suspicion. Rowena sent Harry a look that plainly said 'shut up and follow me.' As they neared a quaint little house of wood and stone near the back of the clan area, a figure stood in front, blocking their way, and perfectly silhouetted by the shadows. It took a step forward, and revealed itself to be a young girl around 14 years old. She had blond hair, and chocolate brown eyes, and a petite body. Her eyes took Harry in and she ran her eyes over his body approvingly. Something about this girl triggered his memory, and with a quick glance at Rowena, his suspicions were confirmed. This was Merita. She walked closer to them until they were within an arms length away. She spoke.

"Rowena." Her voice was cold and scathing. "Back from some fanciful adventure with the birds?" Her posture screamed disrespect and sarcasm, as well as a healthy dose of arrogance. She reminded Harry of Draco Malfoy instantly. Before Rowena had a chance to reply, she turned her gaze to Harry.

"And who might you be, sweetie? Certainly not one of my _dear_ sister's friends, if she had any, obviously. Why not come with me and we'll have some… fun?" She moved to him and ran a finger seductively down his chest. His eyes remained cold.

Harry saw in the corner of his eye, Rowena opening her mouth for a comeback, her face red with barely constrained anger. He saved her the trouble. Without a second glance at Merita, he turned to Rowena and said, "Come on Rowena, weren't you gonna show me your house?" Without waiting for an answer, he roughly shoved past Merita, sending her to the ground very ungracefully, and motioned to Rowena to follow. Smirking, Rowena walked past Merita, but not before spitting at her feet, and followed Harry. Merita's face turned an ugly shade of purple. Her father would surely hear about this.

Rowena caught up with Harry just as he spoke.

"Wow, they're even worse than I imagined." Rowena smiled.

"Well, they're not exactly the most…" she chose her words carefully, "…graceful people around."

They shared a look, and then quietly chuckled. Rowena unlocked her door, and they both went inside. It was a two room house, with a twin-sized bed in the far corner from the door, a desk right next to it with an ink bottle and some parchment and quills. A rack sat on the opposite side of the room from the desk, and Rowena put her sword, bow, quiver, and satchel on it. She took off her cloak and hung it in a closet by the rack. A small bookcase ridden with books was next to the rack. An oval rug covered the floor, and a doorway next to the desk led into a small kitchen where a fireplace was, with a boiler in the corner and a depression in the floor for cooking, like a stove. Cabinets lined the far wall, and a small table was in the middle.

"It's not much… but it's home." Rowena grinned sheepishly. Harry returned the smile.

"It's wonderful."

Rowena went into the kitchen and changed into a plain white T-shirt that looked like a cross between a tunic and a shirt, and black slacks, and Harry took out his trunk from his pocket where he had shrunken and placed it before leaving Hogwarts. He removed the dirty robes and cloak, and wore some comfortable hand-me-downs from Dudley. These were from when Dudley was five years old. Harry made himself a makeshift bed from Dudley's old clothing and other materials by the foot of Rowena's bed. Rowena appeared from the kitchen where she changed with her hair tied up in a ponytail. Her posture was slack and tired. She made her way to Harry.

"Thanks for what you did with Dalin and Merita. I wasn't sure if I could restrain myself. I didn't know that you had a wand, but I guess they're pretty common in the future." Harry grinned at her.

"No problem. Merita reminds me of Draco Malfoy." Rowena chuckled. "And thank you for saying you trust me… I didn't know that you did so much."

Rowena smiled, whispered "Good night," and blew out the candle. He laid down on his 'bed,' and fell into a dreamless sleep instantly.


End file.
